PROFITABLE PROMOTIONS | Cocktail Carafes

At Benny the Bum in Philadelphia, Pa., carafes aren’t just for wine service. Owner Bret Levy offers a set series of Martinis in both full and half carafe options to entice groups of women to come in and stay for a while.

“Every bar owner wants groups of girls in his or her place,” says Levy. “This promotion has definitely increased our revenue and attracted groups of ladies.”

The menu includes five Martinis that can be ordered in a half carafe, which is three 7-ounce Martini pours, or a whole, which is six 7-ounce Martini pours. The carafe is presented tableside on ice to keep it cool and is accompanied by the appropriate number of glasses rimmed according to the cocktail ordered.

“We have a Poppin’ Berry Cosmo, and that glass is rimmed in pop rocks,” Levy explains. “Both of our Benny the Bum venues are kind of new style lounge and sports bar concepts, with great seafood, DJs and live entertainment. We have a large number of beers on tap, and we usually do buckets of beer for the gentlemen. So, now we have Martini carafes for the ladies.”

All of the drinks are vodka based, with Three Olives and Absolut stepping in to help sponsor the ongoing promotion. To avoid over-consumption, Levy has his bouncers and bartenders keep an eye on tables with carafes. Thus far, there have been no issues with those enjoying the cocktail carafes.

“Most tables that get a carafe end up getting a second one,” Levy says. “They are fun and cool, and we find generally girls don’t want to switch to something else during the evening.”